Revealing The Top 10 Drunkest Counties In Montana This Year

Montana And Alcohol A Long Standing Relationship

In my younger years, I liked to drink, probably more than I should have or needed to.

These days, I’m a lot more “dry,” so to speak, but that doesn’t mean cracking open a cold one still isn’t a great way to celebrate.

Drinking Culture Across Big Sky Country

If there’s one thing Montana is known for, it’s our Big Sky, very clear feelings about outsiders, and, let’s be honest, a pretty strong drinking culture.

It feels like just about every fundraiser has a cash bar, with beer and wine always on the menu.

For a long time, Montana also had some pretty relaxed open container laws. I’ve heard plenty of stories about how people back in the day used to measure distance by how many beers they could drink during the drive.

Montana Open Container Laws And Drinking And Driving

Those days are long gone. In 2005, Montana passed stricter open container laws as part of a broader push to crack down on drinking and driving.

While the state has worked to curb drinking behind the wheel, some counties still show higher levels of drinking overall.

The website IntoxiStates recently looked at CDC data to rank Montana counties based on excessive drinking, highlighting both the drunkest and the driest counties in the state.

How Excessive Drinking Is Defined

Excessive drinking according to the CDC includes binge drinking, defined as four or more drinks in one sitting for women and eight for men; heavy drinking of eight or more drinks per week for women and 15 for men; drinking during pregnancy; and underage drinking.

Scroll through the list of the top 10 drunkest counties in Montana and see if your county made the cut. If not, you might find it on the driest list right after.